国家社会工作的理念、内涵与发展策略

The Concept,Connotation,and Development Strategies of State Society Work

中国社会工作发展离不开国家力量的驱动,是一种国家社会工作。它与治疗性社会工作不同,主要以马克思主义为指导,隶属于国家治理体系,融合行政性、人民性、专业性和本土性于一体,即使是微观的社会服务背后也蕴含着强大的“国家在场”。中国社会工作还具有问题寻解性、介入整体性、民众需求生活性及专业感知被动性等特点。因此,发展国家社会工作的策略有:沿循结构性社会工作的脉络,跳出社会工作“治疗术”的狭窄通道和私领域服务,回归社会工作的公共性,从整体上改进和提升民生福祉;夯实国家社会工作的内涵,构建中国社会工作自主知识体系;打造国家社会工作的科学方法体系,在其各个层面吸纳并融合专业社会工作方法,实现本土性和专业性的相互嵌合。

Society work is a product of social civilization,and countries worldwide,whether willing or not,find it difficult to resist the overarching trend of society work development.For a long time,the consensus on the altruistic and welfare aspects of society work has often overshadowed its political nature and ignored the underlying ideologies.As a developing country guided by Marxism,China has had a relatively late start in society work development.Due to a lack of precise conceptual tools and an independent knowledge system,Chinese society work has been caught between Eastern and Western discourses,and its practical experiences and developmental achievements are often underestimated and overlooked by the international community.This situation highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of society work’s role and significance,particularly within the unique context of China.Emphasizing both its political nature and the ideological foundations could enhance its recognition and value on the global stage.Addressing these challenges is essential for fostering a robust framework for society work that aligns with both domestic needs and international standards.Conversely,society work in China has unique developmental characteristics that make it difficult to fully classify within existing society work frameworks.It has consistently been driven by state administrative forces,constituting a form of state society work.Unlike therapeutic society work,state society work is primarily guided by Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times,is integrated into the national governance system,and combines administrative,peoplecentered,professional,and indigenous elements.Even behind micro-level services,there is a strong“state presence.”It is characterized by problem-solving orientation,holistic intervention,a focus on meeting people’s livelihood needs,and passive professional perception.Therefore,strategies for developing state society work include:following the trajectory of structural society work;breaking out of the narrow confines of society work as mere“therapy”and private domain services;returning to the public nature of society work to comprehensively improve and enhance people’s well-being;solidifying the connotation of state society work and constructing an independent knowledge system of Chinese society work;and creating a scientific methodological system for state society work that absorbs and integrates professional society work methods at all levels,achieving a mutual embedding of indigenization and professionalism.By embracing these strategies,the goal is to foster a more robust and effective state society work framework that addresses the needs of the community while aligning with national governance objectives.This will not only enhance the quality of services provided but also ensure that society work remains relevant and impactful in the context of China’s unique social and political landscape.Recognizing and enhancing the political dimensions of society work will play a pivotal role in its future development,both domestically and internationally.